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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706049">loopholes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishscalesky/pseuds/fishscalesky'>fishscalesky</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Established Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Marauders, Marauders era, Pomfrey ships it, because I value my dopamine/serotonin/Happy Chemical, fluff with very very very little plot, lycanthropy, marauders in Hogwarts, post-moon, they are in love okay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:29:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishscalesky/pseuds/fishscalesky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus is in the hospital wing, and Sirius has to devise a rather unorthodox strategy to get in.</p><p>(he punches himself in the face. of course he punches himself in the face)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>loopholes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">

        <li>
          Translation into Русский available: 
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/31092113">Лазейки</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/vnimachtung/pseuds/vnimachtung">vnimachtung</a>
        </li>


    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>:D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I’m very sorry, Mr. Black, but you </span> <span class="s2">cannot </span> <span class="s1">stay,” Madame Pomfrey said firmly, folding her arms. She was an inexorable force, blocking Sirius from his beloved damsel (well, <em>lad) </em>in distress. <br/></span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please? I’d really like to see him,” Sirius said earnestly, and was rewarded by a well-covered scoff from his best friend. He elbowed James to shut him up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rules are rules.” Madame Pomfrey wasn’t <em>mean </em>really, she was just protective over Remus and and adhered to the <em>rules. </em>Sirius couldn’t relate.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But—” Sirius protested, just <em>knowing </em>that Remus would be waiting for him, for the chocolate he carried at all times in his pockets, spelled not to melt. Well, if he was awake— he hadn’t been exactly responsive, early that morning as he shuddered back to human form, before Sirius, James and Peter had snuck away so Poppy wouldn’t find them as illegal Animagi after spending the full moon with their werewolf best friend.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sirius was so preoccupied with convincing her to let him stay he didn’t even notice James nudging him until it became insistent. He irritably pushed back.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Padfoot,” James hissed. “Padfoot, come on.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“But Remus!” Sirius exclaimed, rounding on James with a betrayed down-twist to his mouth.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re not the only one who loves him,” James grumbled. “And I have a <em>plan.”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He said the last part in an undertone, just quiet enough so that only Sirius could hear it. Sirius hesitated.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fucking idiot,” James sighed. “Just trust me, yeah, Padfoot?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Moony,”</em> Sirius protested, but he let himself be dragged away.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on.” James said insistently, holding Sirius’s wrist and guiding him along as if he were very old and feeble.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He’s going to want us when he wakes up, you know!” Sirius sent Madame Pomfrey’s way, less bitingly than he could have if Poppy hadn’t been responsible for saving Moony’s life many times over. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She checked both ways to make sure the hall was empty. “The moon was a bad one, he needs rest and no stimulation!”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“If it was bad then we have to </span> <span class="s2">see </span> <span class="s1">hi— mmph!” Sirius struggled, trying to speak through the hand James had clapped over his mouth. </span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Only injured students in the hospital wing. I’m sorry, boys.” Madame Pomfrey shut the infirmary doors with a final click. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sirius went still, his mind jumping into a tide of <em>oh oh oh!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He and James rounded the corner, out of earshot, and Sirius leapt away from his friend.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hex me!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the fuck?” James breathed heavily, pushing a laugh through his nose as if Sirius was kidding. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was not.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Hex me! Or hit me! So I’m injured, then she’ll </span> <span class="s2">have </span> <span class="s1">to let me in.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">James held his side, grimacing at Sirius. “You’re a bloody lunatic, Pads.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“You heard her,” Sirius reasoned impatiently. “The moon was bad. Even if he’s not awake I’ve </span> <span class="s2">got </span> <span class="s1">to be—” his voice cracked. “I’ve got to be there. Else I’ll drive you mad worrying and I know you hate that.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">James considered his friend, who was dead serious. Sirius stared him down. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Fine,” James relented. “Only can it just </span> <span class="s2">look </span> <span class="s1">like I hit you? I’m not <em>actually </em>going to punch you.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ve got to,” Sirius pointed out. “She’s a nurse, she’ll know if it’s fake and then I’ll be tossed out on my arse.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dammit,” James mumbled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Look, I’ll do it if you won’t,” Sirius said impatiently. “I’ll run into a wall or something.” It really wasn’t a good idea, he conceded, to run into a wall, but the cause was as good as causes got.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“On Moony’s behalf I forbid it,” James said immediately. “He likes your face too much for you to do that.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pomfrey can fix it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The fact remains as </span> <span class="s2">no.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hex me then.” Sirius hopped from foot to foot. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Can I do a combination that make it look like I hurt you but really it’s just...” James weighed his thoughts for a few long seconds. “A Leglock hex but only on one leg, like it’s stiff, and a spell to make you breathe hard? What would that....”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">While James was deliberating, Sirius shook out his fist, curled his fingers, and punched himself in the jaw. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Ah, </span> <span class="s2">fuck!”</span> <span class="s1"> He shouted, wheeling in a circle and clutching the side of his face. Pain pulsed hot from his jaw and cheek. Damn, he’d hit there too. Sirius felt a mixture of pride and <em>ow fuck it kind of hurts.</em></span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">James yelped and spun around to find Sirius holding his own red face. “Oh, you bloody fucking idiot!” </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“You weren’t going to do it!” Sirius yelled back. </span> <em><span class="s2">Moony. Moony, Moony, Moony, it’s for Moony. </span></em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">James swore again. “You’re so whipped.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He’s Moony.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Understood,” James sighed. He grabbed Sirius’s arm, resigned to this now. He should be used to Sirius pulling dumb shit, after four years of knowing each other. “All right then, I guess we’re heading back to the infirmary.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The doors swung open at his knock as James’s hand fell away. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s you again?” Madame Pomfrey asked unnecessarily. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, you see, he’s injured, ma’am,” James told her politely, gesturing to the purpling red splotch on Sirius’s jaw. “And I thought it’d be best to bring him to the hospital wing.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not been <em>ten minutes,” </em>Poppy sighed. She examined Sirius’s face and turned shrewd eyes to James. “Did you do that, Mr. Potter?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No,” Sirius croaked. He could feel his face swelling up. “Wasn’t him.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Point is he’s hurt,” James added helpfully, shrugging like </span> <em><span class="s2">what are you going to do? Turn away a hurt student?</span></em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please,” Sirius tacked on. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, all right,” Madame Pomfrey sighed. “But only the one.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">James let go of Sirius’s arm, making sure to meet his eyes before saying “Give him my love, yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course.” Sirius blew James a clumsy kiss and followed Poppy into the hospital wing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t suppose you’ll be asking for a bed right next to young Remus, then?” Poppy said tiredly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sirius grinned as charmingly as he could manage with a face that felt decidedly lopsided. And hot. And pulsing with pain. “Well, if you’re offering, I don’t see how I could turn that down...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Madame Pomfrey sighed again. She didn’t get paid <em>nearly</em> enough for this. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">After a quick healing charm to down the swelling and fix whatever damage he’d inflicted on himself, Sirius was allowed to sit next to Remus’s bed, curtains drawn around them, and even hold his hand, so long as he was </span> <em><span class="s2">very very quiet. </span></em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Moony,” Sirius whispered softly anyhow. “Hi.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Remus was pale, and his chest was rising and falling ever so slightly with each too-quiet breath. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lovely bastard,” Sirius said in the same hushed, fond tone. “I miss you and it’s only been a few hours since I saw you. Shh, don’t tell Poppy that, she’s already suspicious. Sharp as a tack, that one.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Remus’s eyelashes were very dark against his pale, scarred cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is weird,” Sirius murmured. “You’re so quiet. Not in the good way.” He might as well elaborate, Remus likely wasn’t listening. “When you’re reading or curled up against me you’re quiet in the nice way, not like you’re thinking too much and getting lost in your head, but like you’re calm. I like being the one to make you calm.” Sirius bit his lip. “And happy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Remus’s slender fingers were cold in Sirius’s. He rubbed them a few times, as if to transfer his own warmth. His heart leapt when— but no, he was imaging Remus’s fingers twitching in his own.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“You’re so much better now, you are, but you weren’t early on. I know this moon was bad, I had to pretend I didn’t know when Poppy said it but </span> <span class="s2">dammit, </span> <span class="s1">Moony, leaving you this morning was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. You were so small and fragile and hurt. You’d hate for me to call you that but you’re not awake, are you?” Sirius was quiet. He’d rather Remus was telling him off for calling him </span> <span class="s2">fragile </span> <span class="s1">than Remus being so unnaturally still. </span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on,” Sirius said, slightly pained. “Wake up. Just so I can stop worrying. Flutter your eyelashes if you can hear me, or something, like in Muggle romance books. Flutter your eyelashes if you’ve been lying here listening to me be an idiot for this long.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared very hard at Remus’s pale face, eventually deciding Remus was well and truly asleep, when his eyelashes fluttered with the soft waking-up blinks Sirius was well acquainted with from slow, peaceful mornings waking up next to his Moony. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Sirius meant to say </span> <em><span class="s2">you bastard, </span></em> <span class="s1">but what came out was instead a breathless “Hi, love. You all right?”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Remus smiled sleepily, still blinking. His hand in Sirius’s twisted a little so he could hold it more comfortably and he squeezed gently. “Hi. All right.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“S’pose you just let me pour my heart out to your faux-unconscious body, did you?” Sirius said with weak offense.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Maybe a little guilty,” Remus said, a small smile curling his mouth, so soft and warm and sweet Sirius wanted to get up in the Great Hall and proclaim loud enough for everyone to hear,</span> <em><span class="s2">this boy is Remus Lupin and I love him with everything I’ve got. </span> </em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He settled for clearing his throat and saying, a little raspy, “I shall never forgive you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let me buy your forgiveness in sweets, then,” Remus mumbled, tucking his chin into the crisp white sheets pulled up to his neck.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not if I do first.” Sirius reached into his pocket with his free hand and presented his boyfriend with a few squares on Honeydukes’ finest.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Remus beamed appreciatively. “What are you buying my forgiveness for?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Putting up with me?” Sirius meant it to come out as a joke, but damn it, Remus’s eyebrows furrowed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You do know— I really love you, yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sirius reached out to smooth a curl of Remus’s hair off his forehead so he could see his eyes. A silver scar nicked right through his eyebrow, where it met a more twisty one going up his right temple. “’Course. You’re so lovely, Moons.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Flatterer.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I,” Sirius began haughtily, “Simply possess observational skills, </span> <span class="s2">Lupin.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How astute.” Remus smiled drowsily, but then his amber eyes sharpened. “Why are you even here? Haven’t you got to be hurt?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am,” Sirius said sheepishly. Remus’s eyes widened, scanning him, and he hastened to say, “Or rather, was. See, James wouldn’t hex me. Even though I asked him to.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why would you—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So I had to punch myself in the face—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hold it,” Remus said faintly. “You punched yourself in the face?”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“I’ve a pretty good punch too,” Sirius beamed, proudly, and Remus shook his head. “I had to see you!” Sirius protested, perfectly reasonably, </span> <span class="s2">he </span> <span class="s1">thought. “It was a moment’s fix. Hardly grievous, which I can’t say for others.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I am fine,” said Remus stubbornly, a little crinkle appearing between his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Sirius smoothed it away with a thumb. </span>“You are <em>now.”</em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Padfoot,” Remus murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting. He canted his head, honey-brown hair sliding across the pillow, and caught Sirius’s gaze with his own, those beautiful lupine eyes arrowing straight to Sirius’s heart. “Love you. Know that, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I do,” Sirius whispered. “I love you too, Moony dearest.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sap.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Emotional guppy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Remus giggled and <em>oh</em></span> <span class="s1">if it wasn’t the most satisfying sound Sirius had ever heard. “What the fuck?”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t know, mate. This stuff just,” Sirius waggled his eyebrows, “Comes to me.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Remus teased him further, Sirius ribbed him back, and just outside the curtains, Madame Pomfrey blinked away a stray tear or two and thanked the heavens that Remus Lupin, such a wonderful boy with such an awful lot in life, had found a love like that. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wasn’t even a whit angry at Sirius Black for using questionably underhanded methods to enter the hospital wing, and vowed to let the three friends visit the bedridden werewolf whenever they wished from then on. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rules were made to be bent, after all.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sometimes.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>just a little feel-good wolfstar &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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